COMLAW 311 : Advanced Taxation

Business and Economics

2024 Semester Two (1245) (15 POINTS)

Course Prescription

An advanced study of Income Tax and Goods and Services Tax, with emphasis on the important tax regimes applicable to business taxpayers and high-wealth individuals. Specific topics include corporate taxation, dividends and imputation, company losses and grouping, qualifying companies, trusts, partnerships, financial accruals, international taxation, the disputes procedure and penalties regime, and evasion and avoidance.

Course Overview

This course is for students who want a competitive edge when it comes to understanding taxation matters in the broader business context. The topics covered are practical, interesting and have direct relevance to tax practice and planning. The course aims to provide a deeper understanding of how the taxation topics covered connect with the business world. It is challenging and rewarding for students as they move through the topics enhancing their understanding of New Zealand taxation.

Course Requirements

Prerequisite: COMLAW 203 and 301, or LAW 429 and LLB Part II Restriction: LAW 409

Capabilities Developed in this Course

Capability 1: People and Place
Capability 2: Sustainability
Capability 3: Knowledge and Practice
Capability 4: Critical Thinking
Capability 5: Solution Seeking
Capability 6: Communication
Capability 7: Collaboration
Capability 8: Ethics and Professionalism
Graduate Profile: Bachelor of Commerce

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, students will be able to:
  1. Apply fundamental aspects of the New Zealand tax avoidance regime and the responsibilities of the tax advisor in the context of the law and professional ethics. (Capability 1.1 and 8.1)
  2. Explain and apply the tax administration regime as it relates to disputes and penalties. (Capability 2.1, 3.1 and 3.2)
  3. Evaluate source and residency concepts underlying New Zealand’s income tax regime and apply the tax rules relating to foreign sourced income (Capability 5.2 and 7.1)
  4. Critique key aspects of the policies behind New Zealand’s current tax base and those of comparable jurisdictions including unique features of indirect taxes. (Capability 2.1, 2.2, 4.1, 4.2, 5.1, 6.2 and 8.2)
  5. Apply the income tax regime to various types of corporate and non-corporate business taxpayers. Including income tax and imputation regimes to corporate taxpayers and their investors (Capability 3.1, 3.2, 4.2 and 5.1)

Assessments

Assessment Type Percentage Classification
Assignments 29% Individual Coursework
Final Exam 50% Individual Examination
Workshops 21% Group Coursework
Assessment Type Learning Outcome Addressed
1 2 3 4 5
Assignments
Final Exam
Workshops

Workload Expectations

This course is a standard 15 point course and students are expected to spend 10 hours per week involved in each 15 point course that they are enrolled in.

For this course, you can expect 3 hours of lectures,  5 hours of reading and thinking about the content and 2 hours of work on assignments and/or workshop preparation per week.

Delivery Mode

Campus Experience

Attendance is  expected at scheduled activities including workshops to complete and receive credit for components of the course.
Lectures will be available as recordings. Other learning activities including workshops will not be available as recordings.
The course will not include live online events including workshops.
Attendance on campus is required for the exam. 

The activities for the course are scheduled as a standard weekly timetable.

Learning Resources

Course materials are made available in a learning and collaboration tool called Canvas which also includes reading lists and lecture recordings (where available).

Please remember that the recording of any class on a personal device requires the permission of the instructor.

New Zealand Taxation 2022 or 2023: Principles, Cases and Questions (Thomson Reuters, 2022 or 2023) 
Plus: New Zealand Tax Legislation for Students or any Student Tax Legislation for 2023

Student Feedback

At the end of every semester students will be invited to give feedback on the course and teaching through a tool called SET or Qualtrics. The lecturers and course co-ordinators will consider all feedback and respond with summaries and actions.

Your feedback helps teachers to improve the course and its delivery for future students.

Class Representatives in each class can take feedback to the department and faculty staff-student consultative committees.

We have increased the number of workshops offered in the course. 

Academic Integrity

The University of Auckland will not tolerate cheating, or assisting others to cheat, and views cheating in coursework as a serious academic offence. The work that a student submits for grading must be the student's own work, reflecting their learning. Where work from other sources is used, it must be properly acknowledged and referenced. This requirement also applies to sources on the internet. A student's assessed work may be reviewed for potential plagiarism or other forms of academic misconduct, using computerised detection mechanisms.

Class Representatives

Class representatives are students tasked with representing student issues to departments, faculties, and the wider university. If you have a complaint about this course, please contact your class rep who will know how to raise it in the right channels. See your departmental noticeboard for contact details for your class reps.

Inclusive Learning

All students are asked to discuss any impairment related requirements privately, face to face and/or in written form with the course coordinator, lecturer or tutor.

Student Disability Services also provides support for students with a wide range of impairments, both visible and invisible, to succeed and excel at the University. For more information and contact details, please visit the Student Disability Services’ website http://disability.auckland.ac.nz

Special Circumstances

If your ability to complete assessed coursework is affected by illness or other personal circumstances outside of your control, contact a member of teaching staff as soon as possible before the assessment is due.

If your personal circumstances significantly affect your performance, or preparation, for an exam or eligible written test, refer to the University’s aegrotat or compassionate consideration page https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/academic-information/exams-and-final-results/during-exams/aegrotat-and-compassionate-consideration.html.

This should be done as soon as possible and no later than seven days after the affected test or exam date.

Learning Continuity

In the event of an unexpected disruption, we undertake to maintain the continuity and standard of teaching and learning in all your courses throughout the year. If there are unexpected disruptions the University has contingency plans to ensure that access to your course continues and course assessment continues to meet the principles of the University’s assessment policy. Some adjustments may need to be made in emergencies. You will be kept fully informed by your course co-ordinator/director, and if disruption occurs you should refer to the university website for information about how to proceed.

Student Charter and Responsibilities

The Student Charter assumes and acknowledges that students are active participants in the learning process and that they have responsibilities to the institution and the international community of scholars. The University expects that students will act at all times in a way that demonstrates respect for the rights of other students and staff so that the learning environment is both safe and productive. For further information visit Student Charter https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/forms-policies-and-guidelines/student-policies-and-guidelines/student-charter.html.

Disclaimer

Elements of this outline may be subject to change. The latest information about the course will be available for enrolled students in Canvas.

In this course students may be asked to submit coursework assessments digitally. The University reserves the right to conduct scheduled tests and examinations for this course online or through the use of computers or other electronic devices. Where tests or examinations are conducted online remote invigilation arrangements may be used. In exceptional circumstances changes to elements of this course may be necessary at short notice. Students enrolled in this course will be informed of any such changes and the reasons for them, as soon as possible, through Canvas.

Please note that with regards to Assessment, in particular, the could be a change with the mode of Assessment such as moving to online delivery.

Published on 19/12/2023 01:46 p.m.